"nightly news" is next. we'll be back at 6:00. hope you can join us then. breaking news tonight, a deadly day care fire in pennsylvania five children killed, horror and heartache after desperate efforts to save them >> it's tragic i just hope the kids made it >> and the question tonight, how did the fire start also breaking, captured, the escaped prisoner accused of killing a prison official, now back in custody. >> hands up, went to his knees, and gave up immediately. >> after a massive manhunt what a doorbell camera saw that led to his capture new questions and outrage swirling around the apparent suicide of jeffrey epstein what investigators are now focusing on, as the president spreads a conspiracy theory about his political rivals, how russian bots are now getting in on it.

an nbc news exclusive on the front lines with the military, stopping migrants from moving toward the u.s the mexican military and simone biles on the verge of making history yet again tonight, and the move she did that has never been done before >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with jose diaz balart >> we come on the air tonight with tragic breaking news, five young children ages just 8 months to 7 years old perished in a fire in a pennsylvania day care it happened early this morning in west erie, the home a licensed day care center is now destroyed and a neighborhood shaken some who got out screamed for help, alerting that there were others, small children, trapped inside nbc's blayne alexander reports >> reporter: tonight, it's a devastating scene in erie, pennsylvania, a house consumed in flames. >> engine six, engine eight, report of structure fire with entrapment

>> reporter: when the smoke cleared, four young children were dead, a fifth died later at the hospital >> five people are trapped >> reporter: an adult was air lifted for care, two teens were able to make it out, climbing through a second-story window. neighbors heard their screams from a block away. they said there were babies still inside >> we were just walking, i saw flames coming out the side of the window i yelled "fire." >> reporter: a good samaritan tried to rush in >> i tried to go inside, i made it to the open living room and i couldn't go any further. >> reporter: records show the house was registered as a day care center, the most recent inspection was within the last year it's not clear if the children inside were under that care. now investigators are trying to figure out what caused that fire, as families are left with the horror of five young lives cut tragically short blayne alexander, nbc news more breaking news now, an escaped prisoner accused of murdering a tennessee prison official has been captured

following a massive manhunt. s ins us now fro ripley, tennessee. kerry, what gave police the break they needed? >> reporter: well, jose, all credit tonight to technology and the family who knew what to do with it, one of those ring doorbell cameras alerted a family here in rural tennessee that someone was in their backyard, and then we looked at it, they recognized that it was the escaped inmate, curtis ray watson captured, the five-day manhunt finally over >> it is a good day, because curtis watson is in custody. >> reporter: watson's prison break coming to an end because of the ring doorbell cameras at 3:28 this morning, curtis ray watson, hungry, mosquito bitten and covered in ticks raided an outdoor refrigerator at the taylor home. what watson did not know was

inside harvey and ann taylor had walken up and watching every move >> once he closed the left side of the refrigerator door, my wife could see his face and recognized his beard >> reporter: they called 911, but by the time police arrived, watson was gone. about seven hours later, two officers with the tennessee department of corrections found watson, who had been hiding in this soybean field today those officers recognized for their del jens the tennessee bureau of investigations says watson surrendered without incident but was considered violent because when he made his escape last week, he's accused of sexually assaulting and killing 64-year-old deborah johnson, a prison administrator, who lived on the prison grounds. >> i just thank god that it was, that he was captured before her funeral, because it gives us added relief that we can really bury our mother. >> reporter: from the prison to where watson was found, he had covered only ten miles >> there was a reward, anybody

talk to you about that, are you due that monday? >> i would think so. >> kerry, now that he's charged with murder, what could he be facing >> reporter: well, the district attorney general here says that he will likely seek the death penalty. watson had been in prison for aggravated kidnapping, and was due to be released in just five years. jose >> kerry sanders in ripley, tennessee, thank you very much tonight the mystery deepens in the death of a sex offender and accused trafficker jeffrey epstein who apparently took his own life while in federal custody. the justice department and the fbi are now investigating possible failures during his detention. nbc's kathy park has been following his development. what have you learned today? >> jose, we expect the medical examiner to release an autopsy report as early as tonight that could reveal more details about epstein's death. experts are looking closely

whether procedures afollowed by guards at the jail tonight more questions than answers about the apparent suicide of jeffrey epstein, one of the most high-profile inmates being held in a federal jail nbc news learned as part of the investigation into this incident they want to know if guards conducted routine checks on inmates, including epstein, as required >> one major issue is whether the rules were followed in the housing unit where epstein was confined and whether guards were checking on him every 30 minutes. >> reporter: sources close to the investigation say epstein underwent a psychiatric evaluation and cleared him from suicide watch on or about july 29th, allowing him to return to his cell >> while on suicide watch, epstein would have been monitored every second the bed would have been bolted down his bed clothes would have been taken away but once he was taken off suicide watch, he had clothing, he had a bed sheet, and there was ample opportunity, our sources say, for him to take his own life in that cell. >> reporter: senior law enforcement officials tell nbc news there is no sign of foul play meantime the u.s.

attorney in manhattan will keep digging into an steen's alleged sex trafficking operation. >> we know that original indictment did include a conspiracy count, and it talked about people who worked for him and associates of his, so any of those folks who prosecutors have evidence against could become defendants in an ongoing case here i think it's important for all of us to avoid rushing to judgment, to let the legal proceedings move forward >> so kathy, when it comes to some of the victims, what can they do? >> some of these alleged victims wanted epstein to lie so that he could face justice, but some plan on pursuing some civil suits against epstein's estate and authorities wato prosecute s alleged accomplices. >> thank you so much the many unanswered questions about epstein's death are fueling conspiracy theories on and off one man, president trump kelly o'donnell is traveling with the president and has this report >> reporter: wieldine erl megap,

president trump retweeted a baseless conspiracy theory to nearly 63 million twitter followers, a spurious accusation that thelis death. today, democratic candidates said enough. >> this is another example of our president using this position of public trust to attack his political enemies with unfounded conspiracy theories >> what he's doing is dangerous. >> reporter: president trump once socialized with jeffrey epstein but said last month their friendship ended years ago. >> well, i didn't get along with him. >> reporter: president clinton had known epstein, too, but a spokesman said they had not spoken in more than a decade the trump conspiracy retweet provoked this response from a clinton aide "ridiculous and of course not true, and donald trump knows it." trump adviser kellyanne conway today.

>> i think the president just wants everything to be investigated >> reporter: donald trump has a pattern of promoting false claims birtherism about barack obama, linking ted cruz's father to the jfk assassination, notably epstein death conspiracies are covered by some russian-owned media, and all over the web. >> just because the accounts initially pushed this are economic domestic accounts doesn't necessarily mean russia or other foreign actors aren't involved >> kelly, what is the white house saying about this tonight? >> reporter: well, curiously, little, jose, beyond conway's comment. we tried repeatedly to get the white house to tell us what was the president's intention here, and we've received no response. and unlike some other sunday nights when the president's out of town, he is not going back to the white house. the trump family is remaining in new jersey for the next week for their summer break and the president plans to take a couple

of day trips to pennsylvania and new hampshire, so it is a bit of their summer down time jose >> kelly o'donnell, thank you very much. a powerful deadly typhoon is battering parts of eastern china. more than 6 million people are in its path. the storm barreled ashore this weekend and now massive rescue efforts are under way to save people overwhelmed by the water, wind, waves and mudslides. at least 32 people have been killed, thousands of structures destroyed. two american athletes competing at this weekend's panamerican games could be disciplined for getting political during their medal ceremonies the fencer took a knee as his team stood and hammer r gwen barry raised her fist as "the star spangled banner" played both may face punishment for fair protests. tonight simone biles is on the edge of glory once again she's going for her sixth national title, a record that only one other gymnast has ever

matched, but there was something she just did that has never been done before. kelly cobiella has the exciting details. >> reporter: tonight, the woman known as the best gymnast in the world helping to make history again. simone biles going for a record-tying six national titles, something no woman has done since 1952. biles' performance falling short of perfect to the frustration of this four-time olympic gold perfectionist. >> i was so mad and disappointed with how i did >> reporter: but still pulling moves so difficult, the judges, fans, even her own team had to do a double double take. >> oh! >> reporter: an incredible move no gymnast has ever done before, a double-double dismount, double twist, double flip, named after biles if she can land it again in an international competition. it comes after an emotional week for biles. >> it's hard coming here for a

organization and having had them failed us so many times. >> reporter: the comments in the wake of the larry nasser sex abuse scandal. biles among hundreds of athletes abused by the former usa gymnastics sports doctor usa gymnastics saying it's made progress on athletes' safety nasser now serving a life sentence, but the pain and anger is still raw >> you had one job, you literally had one job and you couldn't protect us. >> reporter: those emotions not getting in the way of what matters most to biles, pushing herself to new heights >> i try not to pay attention. i try to do my work. >> reporter: just 22 years old, and still soaring. kelly cobiella, nbc news still ahead tonight, an exclusive look at how the mexican military is actually helping to slow the flow of migrants into the united states. also the hit singer bitten by a rattlesnake now on a long road to recovery

we are back with an exclusive look at an unlikely ally to slow migration into the united states, mexico. the president threatened heavy tariffs if mexico didn't do something. their response a massive military deployment to their southern border. cal perry is on the front lines. >> reporter: it's the military surge president trump has been asking for, but instead of the u.s. border, 11,000 members of the mexican national guard now stand watch over their southern border, at the river that divides mexico from guatemala,

part of a new mexican government crackdown. the commander insisted we conceal his identity over security concerns. and tells us their mission is limited in scope the military can't physically touch migrants who come through here, instead providing a deterrent, many from central and south america trying to get to the u.s., begin their journey across mexico at this point. that show of force along the border with guatemala is only half the story the mexican government is setting up centers like this one in an attempt to get migrants to register it's their way of trying to bring some semblance of order in what is very clearly a chaotic situation. some here have already lived in the u.s. and been deported, and are attempting to get back, but because of recent immigration policies from the trump administration, others have given up did you think about going to the u.s. >> no. >> reporter: why not >> because i can't afford it already. >> reporter: as night falls, we

meet ishmael, his parents took him to california when he was 3. he, too, was recently deported, living almost his entire life in america. are you trying to get back >> i am. i am trying to get back. >> reporter: how are you -- >> either legally or, if possible, illegal. yes. >> reporter: so you would cross back illegally if you had? >> yes, definitely, just to be back with my family. >> reporter: between the deportations, the family situation policy and now the new remain in mexico policy, thousands are starting to crowd at these border crossings, unable to move in either direction. people are only growing more desperate. jose >> cal perry, thank you very much i should note today there is a presidential runoff election in guatemala and both candidates criticized the asylu we're backe boy holding out hope why it's struggle for him and so many other minorities to get the life-saving donations they need >> plus how this award-winning singer survived a rattlesnake bite

now to the story about a little boy with a rare immune disease who is fighting for his life his best hope for a cure is a bone marrow transplant, but th struggle to find a doctor is an ongoing issue impacting so many minorities here's nbc's ron allen >> reporter: most days, 7-year-old isaiah bullock seems like every other kid, no sign his life is a struggle what do you want to be when you grow up? >> a basketball player >> reporter: and what's your second choice? >> a navy pilot. >> reporter: why a navy pilot? >> because i get to fly all these cool jets. >> reporter: isaiah has a rare immune simple disease called ipex the only cure is a bone marrow transplant >> you don't ever sleep because you know at any point in time your baby could lie down next to

you and he don't wake up and he doesn't, he couldn't >> reporter: for five years charlene and vincent bullock have not been able to find a suitable donor for their son he gets rashes >> yes >> reporter: pain in his joints? >> yes it's too much. it's a long list i mean, he gets migraine headaches. >> look, i have a skit >> reporter: they even tried to create a donor but isaiah's sister aneah is not a genetic match. >> i couldn't believe it i said no, she got to be a match. we just keep searching we don't give up >> reporter: the problem the nation's largest bone marrow registry has 10 million potential donors but fewer than 1 million are african-american a white child has a 77% chance of finding a match, for black kids, it's 23% experts blame lack of awareness about the need for donors in minority communities a swab of dna determines your genetic markers, experts say actually transplanting marrow can be similar to giving blood or in some cases require a more complicated surgical procedure >> good afternoon.

trying to raise awareness -- >> reporter: the bullocks urgently tried to raise awareness. they say doctors initially thought isaiah might live just a couple of years. your parents say you're very strong what's your favorite subject in school >> math. >> reporter: why math? >> because it's the easiest thing of mine. it's the easiest thing >> reporter: despite the odds they're determined to find someone who can give isaiah a chance at a long, healthy life >> he doesn't give up. i don't give up. we don't give up >> reporter: ron allen, nbc news, new york now to the strange story of the top selling singer walking cross-country who was a rattlesnake, now hospitalized and struggling to walk kenneth gibson has the story >> reporter: grammy nominated musician mike posner being wheeled into the hospital after being hit by a rattlesnake known for hits like "cooler than me." ♪ you think you're cooler than

me. >> reporter: and "i took a pill in." ♪ i took a pill in >> reporter: had just walked from kansas into colorado when, according to his twitter, he came across the snake. "i had just crushed 16 miles, i was going for eight more when i got bit by a baby rattlesnake" he wrote that venom is no joke posner was 160 miles into a walk across the entire continent. >> kansas is over here colorado over here >> reporter: as a tribute to his recently deceased father, and also the deejay avici. the singer thanked hospital staff and posted this video of himself struggling to walk >> work through the pain >> reporter: today he urged fans to stay positive and vowed to rebuild with patience and equini equinimoty working hard to get back on his feet just ahead we take a trip back to woodstock and talk to

the man who made the summer of '69 sound so good.

finally tonight it was 50 years ago this week hundreds of thousands gathered in upstate new york for woodstock, and it was thanks to one man they could hear the music harry smith spoke with him at the site of the festival, museum in bethel woods. ♪ >> reporter: woodstock the festival was captured brilliantly in woodstock, the documentary, a rock 'n' roll master piece, which janet, jimi. but how pray tell could that

ancient analog past did they amplify the music? did you feel like a pioneer? >> i was a pioneer there's no question about it >> reporter: that's bill hammond, sound engineer, one of the first to realize that his venues got bigger, the sound needed to reach farther. >> and i said wow, we got to do this better, this is crazy why can't i hear the guy who is doing the solo better? >> reporter: woodstock organizers told him to prepare for an audience of 100,000, a half million showed up did you anticipate that? i wanted to make it happen as well, best i could it was our mission to do that. >> reporter: the natural amphitheater was no small challenge. he built everything from scratch, some of which is on display at the museum, including a tiny sound board, and a massive speaker. you didn't get these at best buy. >> reporter: music legends were de

hear well? >> reporter: hanley was too busy monitoring his equipment to remember who stood out so cool that you were the guy who knew what needed to be done. >> correct thank you. >> reporter: half a million people would have said -- >> what am i here for? right. ♪ >> reporter: harry smith, nbc news, bethel, new york and that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. lester holt will be in tomorrow. i'm jose diaz balart thank you for the privilege of your time. good night

the news at 6:00 starts

right now. good evening, everyone. thanks for joining us. i'm terry mcsweeney. a ride share driver accused of taking advantage of a customer. police say he drove a woman more than 0 60 miles and sexually assaulted her. she asked for a ride in san mat mateo. the driver drove her to his house in tracy where thom jensen is with this developing story. >> reporter: we did background checks and looked for this trac. police have not confirmed it. we traced him back to a neighborhood here. neighbors around that address on both sides next door told us that they have seen the suspect, 46-year-old tonye